Plan Your Visit to

Buffalo Trace Distillery

All tours and tastings at Buffalo Trace Distillery are always complimentary!

We are currently seeing a great demand for our experiences and with a finite number of offerings, we may not be able to host all guests interested in touring at the specific time they are looking for.

At this time, tours are booked by online reservations.  Dates are released weekly, on Wednesday’s at 10:00 a.m. Eastern via Buffalo Trace .  Our reservation calendar has dates released up to 8 weeks in the future and there is a running list of dates on the reservation site for upcoming release windows.  If you do not see availability for the date you wish to visit, please utilize our waitlist tool.  

If you are traveling with a large group (13 or more guests), please email us at reservations@buffalotrace.com for additional guidance.  Space is limited for large groups.

Check All Tour Availability

Where to Stay

For out-of-town guests or business associates, overnight accommodations are available at several nearby hotels.

Frankfort

In the capital city of Kentucky, Frankfort takes heart in hosting several hotels in addition to offering activities, events, and experiences available for all to enjoy.

See Hotels

Lexington

Just forty-five minutes southeast of Buffalo Trace Distillery, Lexington is home to a variety of hotels and short-term rentals.

See Hotels

Louisville

Louisville offers a vast amount of lodging, dining, and entertainment options.

See Hotels

Directions and Parking

DISTILLERY ADDRESS

113 Great Buffalo Trace Frankfort, KY 40601

NAVIGATION

For directions to and around the distillery,use the Google Maps link below and/or refer to the adjacent parking map.

Get Directions
Parking Map

Our Visitor Parking Lot opens at 8:00am EST (Monday-Saturday) and 10:30am EST (Sunday).

Guests should enter via our main entrance at 113 Great Buffalo Trace and follow signs to the Visitor Parking Lot.  Please do not use the Truck Entrance located at the traffic light/Fair Oaks Lane.

Parking is limited and we recommend carpooling when possible.  Guests traveling with large vehicles (charter bus, RV, truck with trailer, etc.) should email reservations@buffalotrace.com for special instructions.

For details on selecting a transportation service, see the link below.

Transportation Guidelines

Checking In

Our Freehouse Welcome Center opens for check-in beginning at 9:00am EST (Monday-Saturday) and 11:00am EST (Sunday).  All guests visiting the Distillery will go through this building for ID check and wristbands before entering the Visitor Center and Retail Store.

Check In Best Practices

  • Guests are encouraged to check-in 20-30 minutes before their scheduled tour.
  • If your party intends to shop before your tour experience, please plan to arrive 45-60 minutes before your scheduled tour.
  • All guests wanting to taste or purchase any alcoholic products must present a valid ID at check-in.
  • Guests should have their reservation confirmation printed or easily accessible on their phone to show the reservations greeter for a quicker check in process. 
  • In the event a group is late for their reservation, we will make an effort to connect them with their experience.   But there is a chance we will not be able to accommodate their reservation or get them booked on another experience.  

Morning Line

Due to the limited availability of our products, we do see large crowds gather each morning wanting to shop.  It is not uncommon for a large line of guests to begin forming at 8:00am EST (10:30am EST Sunday) when the parking lot opens. 

At 9:00am (11:00am Sunday), guests will be directed into the Freehouse Welcome Center for check-in on a first come, first serve basis.  Please pay careful attention to instructions from our team members as line operations may change daily based on crowd sizes and other events taking place.

Safety Guidelines

In the interest of safety, we kindly request that all guests remain in their vehicles until the parking lot opens, no guests should be walking in the parking lot before 8:00am (10:30am Sunday). 

If vehicular traffic backs up before the parking lot opens, we ask that guests keep intersections clear for delivery trucks and safety vehicles.   If traffic backs up all the way to Wilkinson Boulevard, we encourage guests to come back closer to 8:00am (10:30am Sunday). 

 

FAQs

  • The calendar will open at 10:00am EST weekly on Wednesday’s via our reservations webpage.  Our reservation calendar has dates released up to 8 weeks in the future and there is a running list of dates on the reservation site for upcoming release windows.  If you do not see availability for the date you wish to visit, from the calendar page, please click the Get on the Waitlist button.

  • Set a reminder to be on the reservation site a few minutes before10:00 am EST

  • Please click the Get on the Waitlist button on our reservations webpage.  If space opens, our reservations team will contact you to fill those spots via email and/or text based on the information you entered on the waitlist.  Please only enter your information once.

We do offer complimentary tasting opportunities throughout the day, if you do not have a guided tour reservation.  We do not pre-book these experiences. For more details, please check in at the welcome center upon arrival.

  • Our Gift Shop is open daily, and no reservation is required to shop.  However, all guests should still check-in at our Freehouse Welcome Center for ID check and wristbands.
  • Our state Gift Shop license allows us to sell a portion of our award-winning bourbon portfolio in the Distillery Gift Shop including Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, EH Taylor Jr. Small Batch, Blanton’s Single Barrel, Weller Special Reserve, and Sazerac Rye.  These products are also in short supply and as such, are not available every day in our Gift Shop just as you see with our partner retailers.
  • Unfortunately, we cannot disclose future bottle deliveries. We can only tell you what is on the shelf for the current day. This information is published each morning on our product availability page.
  • Please note that although our bourbons may be available when we open, it is not guaranteed to be in stock when you arrive as it is made available to visitors as they arrive at the Distillery and we are not able to pre-sell or hold these products.

We’d love to include you in our quarterly newsletter, Happenings at the Trace. Sign up here.

No, but registration is recommended to guarantee a spot. Our Visit Us page will describe the tour opportunities and allow you to reserve a spot.

The Trace Tour is open to visitors of all ages. All other tours are open to guests that are 12 years of age and older and accompanied by an adult. Guests may also utilize our playground facilities daily between 9am and 8pm.

The Visitor Center and Gift Shop are ADA accessible. The Trace Tour is ADA accessible.

Yes, we are proud to partner with Staxx BBQ to offer our Firehouse Sandwich Stop seasonally between April and October.

Enjoy a delicious lunch at our Firehouse Sandwich Stop, located just a short walk away from the Visitor's Center at Buffalo Trace Distillery.

The Sandwich Stop opened in the summer of 2010 and is inside of the original distillery firehouse, built in the 1930's. See authentic fire coats and boots once worn by distillery workers in the 50's and 60's when the Firehouse was in full swing at the Distillery and take your picture next to the 1964 Ford fire truck! We are able to take preorders for groups of 10 to prepare box lunches. 

We are happy to partner with Staxx BBQ to operate the Firehouse Sandwich Stop!

  • Only outdoor seating under an awning is available at the Firehouse Sandwich Stop.

  • Guests are asked to park in our regular visitor parking area when visiting the Firehouse Sandwich Stop.

    Hours
    Wed & Thu: 11am-2pm
    Fri & Sat: 11am-2:30pm
    Sun: 11am-2pm

Download Menu
Order Lunch Boxes here

Contact the Firehouse Sandwich Stop

(502) 783-5673
boxlunchorders@gmail.com

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The George T. Stagg Gift Shop and Gallery

Plan to spend time with us in our expanded Visitor Center and Gift Shop. We have 35,000 square feet of shopping, tasting, event and gallery space to entertain and educate your group.

Don't forget your ID! It is required for tasting and purchasing of alcohol products. Use the button below to visit the Product Availability page on the day of your visit to see what we're offering that day.

Visit our online gift shop to order apparel and accessories in advance of your visit.

Product Availability
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